What purpose does American cheese serve? What problem does it solve?

  • Maeve
    link
    fedilink
    15 months ago

    Thank you! I was wiped out after driving a disabled neighbor around all day yesterday so I didn’t put much effort in my search. Like beer, I call it “cheese” with caution. I don’t know that any American-produced cheese actually uses rennet rather than whatever chemical imitation. I am well aware there is a huge difference in taste, having had the opportunity to have had imported cheese a time or two. But I obviously don’t buy it, with budgetary and other constraints. I’ve recently started buying American produced cheese either sliced, or block to shred myself. It’s just better without cellulose and rx antifungal.

    • @ricecake
      link
      05 months ago

      Oh, there’s plenty of American cheeses that are basically the same as any other European cheese, but we have the difference that we either need to use pasteurized milk, or age the cheese at least 60 days.
      We had a much worse time with listeria outbreaks around the time that food safety regulations were being put together, so our rules are a lot more strict for dairy products.

      This can impact the flavor, but honestly the reason imported cheese tends to be better is because you don’t import cheap cheese, you import nice cheese.

      Cellulose is only in shredded cheese, and it’s benign. It’s naturally occuring in every plant, and humans can’t digest it. It’s commonly referred to as “dietary fiber”, which is why they can use it as an anti clumping agent in shredded cheese. You’re already eating it and it’s entirely inert.

      Antibiotics are also a bit overblown in the US. When it comes to what arrives to the consumer, the US and the EU have compatible regulations. The biggest difference is actually cow breed, which impacts milk composition.

      • Maeve
        link
        fedilink
        15 months ago

        They’re compatible largely because of trade pressures applied. And pre-shredded cheese wreaks havoc on my stomach. I’ve had stomach issues for most of my life so imo a happy gut is a happy me.

        • @ricecake
          link
          15 months ago

          Oh, yeah. Don’t eat food that makes your gut sad!